Arbutus

The wind died down today and it didn't seem so cold so I went out for a walk along the Westsong Walkway to see how the new luxury yacht mooring is progressing. We'll have a look at that tomorrow but for now here is a photo of a tree that caught my eye this afternoon. The bright orange-red wood of the Arbutus turns this lovely silvery color when the tree dies.

Arbutus Extinction?

I've noticed recently that there seem to be a lot of dead or dying Arbutus trees. These are a native tree here and I have often photographed them over the last 8 years. There seems to be a popular belief that many more are dying than is normal but there is no consensus as to the reason or even as to whether this is true. Some scientific opinion is that the trees are dying due to a variety of fungus diseases. Others think that these diseases are more common now because of environmental changes such as global warming and fire control. It may also be that those I see along the walkway are all more or less the same age and are leftovers from when the area had more wild bush. I quite like that the city is not rushing to remove the dead trees since they are like silvery tree sculptures but I hope that there will be young replacement Arbutus trees visible soon.

Fall Colors

We have lots of Arbutus trees (Arbutus menziesii) here and while their leaves don't change color or fall off during autumn, they do produce rich clusters of bright red berries at this time of year to participate in the season's colors.

Arbutus

One of the most distinctive trees on the west coast is the Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) - a tree that doesn't shed its leaves in winter and but sheds its paper-thin park all year round. It's native to our coast here and southward to Northern California where it is more generally called Madrone or Madrona. Whatever the name, it's nice to see those green leaves throughout the winter months.

Arbutus Berries

The leaves of Arbutus Trees (Arbutus menziesii) don't change color or drop in the autumn but the some of the trees salute the season by bearing generous clusters of bright red berries. These provide a colorful setting for an American Robin (above) and a European Starling (below).